Making your own homemade cream of chicken soup is crazy easy using simple ingredients you most likely already have on hand. It’s the perfect addition to your favorite soups and casseroles minus the preservatives from the canned condensed version!
Why this recipe works
Homemade cream of chicken soup is a great replacement for the canned version. Though I’m not one to scoff at the use of canned items, as I use them in many of my recipes simply due to ease of use and less prep work (no judgment here). But with this recipe, it boils down to the comfort of knowing exactly what is going into your mixture using 4 pantry staple ingredients plus a combination of seasonings.
Cream of chicken soup is a key ingredient in so many comforting recipes like chicken and dumpling casserole or Mexican chicken casserole. It adds creaminess, thickness, and flavor to tons of hot dishes.
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions
BUTTER – Unsalted butter is what you will need. If you only have salted butter on hand, omit the salt called for in the ingredient list below.
CREAM – We are using heavy whipping cream, but you can certainly sub it out for milk. The heavy whipping cream provides a nice creamy and easily whippable base for the soup. If you plan on subbing in milk, know that your mixture may be slightly runnier.
How to Make Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.
- Melt butter in a 10 inch skillet or small pot over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Long enough for the roux to form and raw flour to cook out.
- Slowly, pour in chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time, whisking to combine. As the mixture thickens, add more stock until complete. This will happen quickly at first, then take longer as the stock is added.
- Add in the spices and mix.
- Slowly add in the heavy whipping cream and whisk as well. Keep over medium-low heat and whisk for about 15 minutes until it is nice and thick. It should slowly drip off a spoon in thick clumps when ready. Similar to a thick gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Yes, you can freeze this homemade cream of chicken soup. Allow it to cool completely, then store it in a Ziploc bag or air-tight container kept in the freezer for 2-3 months. When ready to use, move the frozen mixture to the refrigerator to defrost overnight.
To store cream of chicken soup, allow it to cool completely before moving to an air-tight container or Ziploc bag. You can keep it in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Serving Suggestions
Homemade cream of chicken soup is widely used in all sorts of casserole dishes, pot pies, or soup recipes. This is a perfect way to always have some on hand for your next comfort meal. We like to keep ours in an air-tight mason jar, but it can be stored in a Ziploc bag or plastic container with a lid.
This recipe is easy enough to make ahead and store for whenever you need it next. You can easily double or triple the ingredients depending on how often you use it.
More Homemade Recipes
- Homemade Chili
- Homemade Biscuits
- Homemade Eggnogg
- Homemade Pop Tarts
- Homemade Berry Jam
- Homemade Baked Beans
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Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- â…› tsp celery seed
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Things You’ll Need
Before You Begin
- You can adjust the seasonings to taste.
- Store in an air-tight container or Ziploc bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Instructions
- Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Long enough for the roux to form and raw flour to cook out.
- Slowly, pour in chicken stock 1/2 cup at a time, whisking to combine. As the mixture thickens, add more stock until complete. This will happen quickly at first, then take longer as the stock is added.
- Add in the spices and mix. Slowly add in the heavy whipping cream and whisk as well. Keep over medium-low heat and whisk for about 15 minutes until it is nice and thick. It should slowly drip off a spoon in thick clumps when ready. Similar to a thick gravy.
Nutrition
Amanda Davis
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Carol Corrigan says
Oh my! This is so good.! We added chicken and it was wonderful. You could add carrots or whatever else you wanted, but, really, this is delicious just she suggests.
Betsy McNair says
Can you use this as a base for all cream soups, like Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Celery, etc.?
Chrissy says
Excellent recipe! Delicious too!
Helga Doris Hamlin says
This is a delicious soup. I will never purchase cream of ….soup
LINDA JONES says
When making a recipe calling for one can of Cream of Chicken, do you use 15-16 ounces of this recipe to equal the one can?
When making soup to eat as soup, do you just add broth until it is as thin as you prefer or do you do anything specific for a dinner serving of soup?
Thank you! I love this version of cream soup for other recipes. As much as I like the centuries old canned cream soups as soups and casserole add ins, this recipe is good and it saves an tremendous amount of salt.lvo
I love your newsletter and recipes. Good work.
Amanda Formaro says
A can of cream of chicken soup is 10.5 ounces, so weigh out the same amount of this recipe. For making soup, you can add water, milk, or broth to thin.
Jovonneb says
I need this. Thank you.
Sam says
I make my own C of Chk & I would highly recommend adding poultry &/or rotisserie seasoning.
Ann Marie Torrey says
I always add chicken and diced carrots